Teen eager to start work on Maine school board

OLD TOWN, Maine (AP) — The newest member of the school board in Old Town, Maine, is just two years removed from the schools for which he'll be setting policy.

Nineteen-year-old Lee Jackson is a sophomore at the University of Maine, but he's been thinking about running for the school board since he was in middle school. He ran for one of two open seats on the nine-member board, was elected last week and will be sworn in Dec. 5.

Jackson told the Bangor Daily News (http://bit.ly/1cNYQ3T) that his life changed for the better when his family moved to Old Town when he was in fourth grade, and instead of the racial discrimination he experienced earlier, he was welcomed by the school, teachers and students. He says he is organization a panel of parents and recent graduates to get feedback about how to improve the school system.